PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Welcome Writing over 1500 years ago, St Benedict laid down guidelines for receiving guests in his monastery: clearly he expected guests to come, and the experience of monks down the years is that their monasteries always attract guests. At Ampleforth we too offer hospitality in the spirit of St Benedict. Many of our visitors come to join one of the organised retreats or quiet days that you will find described in this Pastoral Programme. Others come to stay on an individual basis, perhaps looking for quiet and rhythm in an increasingly busy, noisy and confusing world. Taking time away can help us re-focus our priorities. What is this life for? What am I meant to do? How should I live? Who am I meant to be? These are fundamental questions, and underlie many of the retreats and quiet days that we offer. There is a great variety of offerings, because we are all different. We encounter the Lord in so many different ways: in the Scriptures and in the Sacraments; in other people and in nature; in the deprived and the poor; in times of celebration and in times of stress. 2017 will be an important year in the history of our monastery. Sometime this year the monks will move temporarily out of the monastery building to another building four hundred metres east. This is to allow the necessary work on refurbishing the monastery to begin. We ask you to be patient with us during this time when we have the builders in. We will do our best to ensure that the atmosphere of peace and calm at Ampleforth is preserved. We invite you to take the opportunity offered in this programme to deepen your spiritual life, to grow in love and receptivity, and to develop as human beings fully alive. Fr Terence Richardson OSB Prior and Head of Hospitality 2 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Contents Welcome Inside Front Cover Meet our Pastoral Team 4 A Chance to Relax and Reflect 6 Retreats with Times of Silence 8 Quiet Days at Ampleforth 9 The Path of Life 10/11 An Invitation to University Students 12 Easter Triduum 13 Retreats 14-34 Retreat Booking Enquiry Form 35 The Abbey Tea Room 37 The Abbey Shop 38 The Visitor Centre 39 3 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Meet our Pastoral Team Fr Terence Richardson Fr Kieran Monahan Prior and Head of Hospitality. Fr Terence has wide Fr Kieran has continued to develop his interest in pastoral experience. He spent twenty years working retreats covering a wide spectrum of themes like the on Benedictine parishes in North Yorkshire and spirituality of living in the present moment and retreats Lancashire and has returned to the Abbey to be Prior based around liturgical seasons of the year. He is the and to work in the Hospitality and Pastoral Team. Master of Ceremonies and has been appointed as the Chaplain to the Support Staff, which developed out of his work with the staff exploring the Benedictine Core Values and their relation to the work/life ethic of Fr Christopher Gorst Ampleforth Abbey. Seeking a link between psychology and spirituality is Fr Christopher’s particular interest, and his Tai Chi and Meditation retreats, which he runs with Terry Doyle, Fr Kevin Hayden have proved very popular. After his years in Zimbabwe, Fr Kevin brings to his retreat work a wide range of he has worked for eleven years with the Team. He still experience both as a monk and as a diocesan priest, helps co-ordinate the Easter Triduum Retreat, but his having been involved for many years in parish ministry recent appointment as Novice master has meant some as well as leading retreats with both young people and reduction in mid-week retreats. adults, engaging in individual accompaniment, and being involved at diocesan level in a variety of inititatives with Fr Bede Leach regard to outreach and strategic planning. Fr Bede has completed thirteen years on the pastoral team and this year will focus on his school and student residential retreats. He continues his parish ministry in Ampleforth village. 4 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Fr Henry Wansbrough Fr Andrew McCaffrey Fr Henry is a Biblical scholar with an international Fr Andrew has been a monk for nearly thirty years. reputation. He is a former member of the Pontifical During this time he has taught Classics in the College, Biblical Commission and author of many books. Scripture and Biblical languages in the monastery He also edited the New Jerusalem Bible and is in and has had pastoral experience in various parishes, great demand as a speaker. including Liverpool and Lancashire. He has given numerous talks and retreats to parish groups. He has studied Sacred Scripture in Rome and has a particular interest in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Fr Philip Rozario Old Testament. From his period in Rome he has developed an interest in the poetry of Dante, Fr Philip has been a monk since 2000 and is currently especially the Divina Commedia. Chaplain to St Edward’s & St Wilfrid’s House; Oblate Master and Assistant Novice Master. Fr Richard ffield Fr Richard joined the monastery 50 years ago after training as an engineer. After being a Housemaster for 21 years, he spent 12 years as a member of our Monastery of Christ the Word in Zimbabwe. Fr Matthew Burns Fr Matthew has experience as a Housemaster and as a parish priest. He is a talented gardener and carpenter as well as being an experienced retreat-giver. 5 A Chance to Relax and Reflect Jesus said: “Let us go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31) Perhaps you would value some time out, some space for yourself, a chance to rediscover a sense of peace and calm. Perhaps you would value an opportunity to have some time to reflect on the direction of your life, and to reconnect with yourself and with God. Perhaps you sense a need simply to be present for a while or to get some well-earned rest. At whatever point you find yourself in life, you are very welcome to come and to spend some time with us at Ampleforth. We will provide you with a private room, with food, with the opportunity to join the Community in prayer, and a beautiful peaceful setting within which to find your centre and renew your relationship with God. Individual guest charges per person per day are as follows: En-suite Standard Resident Full Board £62.50 £57.00 Supper, Bed and Breakfast £54.00 £48.50 Bed and Breakfast £41.50 £36.00 For guests making a private retreat we require a £25.00 non-refundable deposit per person. For anyone who is unemployed or in special need there is no fixed charge. Any contribution within your means would be welcome. Disabled Guests En-suite accommodation and facilities for disabled guests are available. Please contact our Pastoral Team for further details. Ampleforth is built on the side of a hill and, therefore, access around the campus and in accommodation areas necessitates guests negotiating stairs and walking between your accommodation, the Abbey Church and the refectory. If you are interested or would like some further information please contact our Hospitality Office at [email protected] or call us on 01439 766486. 6 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 7 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Retreats with times of silence In our busy, noisy world, more and more people are discovering the importance of the discipline of silence in order to listen to God speaking to us. The group will join the monks in their daily prayer, and listen to some input on prayer. There will be opportunities to meet individually with one of the monks, to read and to pray. Dates: Friday 17 – Sunday 19 February Friday 12 – Sunday 14 May Friday 1 – Sunday 3 September Friday 17 – Sunday 19 November 8 AMPLEFORTH ABBEY PASTORAL PROGRAMME 2017 Quiet days at Ampleforth Jesus’ invitation to his first disciples was very simple: The day starts at 10:00am with morning coffee and ends “Come and See.” (John 1:39) at 5:00pm. • There will be a shared exploration of the Word of God. We are told they stayed with him for the rest of the day, and • This is followed by an opportunity to spend some time in that it was an encounter which changed their lives. Each quiet silence, with some written material to help reflection. day is an opportunity to do the same thing – to spend time • You are then invited to join the monastic community for with Christ, to remain in his presence and to discover what midday prayer, and afterwards to share a meal as a group. he wants for us in our lives. • After lunch there is more time for quiet and conversation before coming together as a group at the end of the day to share our experiences and insights. Dates: Saturday 7 January Saturday 3 June Tuesday 5 September Tuesday 5 December Cost: A suggested donation based on £30.00 per person will fully defray costs, but this is a suggestion only and is left entirely at the donor’s discretion. 9 The Path of Life Discovering the life you were created to live. What is it? An invitation to begin a journey of discovery An experience of simplicity and stillness in the peaceful setting of a monastery in a beautiful valley. An experience of community and friendship, of time spent “Who is there here who longs for life”? together with other people who are also exploring.